Transcript mayo_virtue-ethics

We have several ways of framing the different
approaches to ethics
• Duty vs. Happiness [Kant/Utilitarianism]
• Source of the values [world beyond
appearances vs. us or them]
• Judging men vs. judging ideas
[Plato/Aristotle vs. Kant]
• With Mayo, Hugo, Aristotle and Nussbaum
returning to the “judging of men.” Focus is on
“virtue” rather than principles
• What does this mean?
• That the moral character of the person acting
is important.
• Why?
• Because their actions flow from their
character.
• How is this different from William’s notion of
person integrity?
• Acting on the basis of principle vs. acting
from your moral character.
What is the connection between
being and doing?
• You can only BE by doing what you do.
• BEING focuses on VIRTUE & human
character
• Underlying question is whether a bad
person can do good things. [on Utility
yes, on Kant? Probably no]
Ideals [virtues & exemplars] vs Principles
“What ought I do?”
• Look for the moral principles and a
connection with the current situation
• OR quote a quality of character.
• turns into “what ought I be?”
 Who is a saint? Who is a hero?
Saints & Heroes
• An ideal type of character or an
actual person
• Plato: The just man
• Aristotle: The man of practical
wisdom
• The role of ideals/exemplary
people? examples?
Examples
• Imitation – we try to be like our
heroes
•  [Kant believes this is fatal to morality
– why?]
• Truth – George Washington
• Others? Mother Theresa? Johnny
Appleseed?
Mayo says there has been "...a radical onesidedness in the philosophers' account of
morality in terms of principles: it takes little or
no account of qualities, of what people are. It is
just here that the old fashioned word Virtue
used to have a place; and it is just here that the
work of Plato and Aristotle can be instructive.“
If we wish to enquire about Aristotle's moral
views, it is no use looking for a set of
principles. Of course we can find some
principles to which he must have
subscribed....The basic question for Aristotle, is
not What shall I do? but, What shall I be?
• Mayo asks:
"Why should we expect that all rules of conduct
should be ultimately reducible to a few?"
• "A person's character is not merely a list of
dispositions; it has the organic unity of
something that is more than the sum of its
parts."
• Examples: Plato's "just man,"
• Aristotle's "man of practical wisdom,"
• Augustine's "citizen of the city of God," the
"good communist,"
• Socrates, Christ, Buddha, and St. Francis.